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ACT II
13. EXT. FOREST - MORNING
Hunting Elk travels with Xena and Gabrielle through
the forest. The three of them combine signing with some words they
have shared.
HUNTING ELK
It is an honor to hunt with you.
(beat)
The tales of our nomad brothers and sisters have
spread your travels far across this land.
GABRIELLE
Your people have a deep and rich culture. Many wonders
have crossed our paths. We have learned many valuable lessons on our
journey.
HUNTING ELK
You do not carry weapons like Xena?
GABRIELLE
I used to…
(beat)
...but not any more.
Gabrielle looks sad again and quickens her pace.
HUNTING ELK
Was it something I said?
XENA
She made a choice. And now she's living with it.
Xena scans the ground and then sees a huge footprint.
She and Hunting Elk kneel beside the print. Gabrielle is nearby and
makes a face.
GABRIELLE
What is that awful smell?
XENA
We are being watched.
HUNTING ELK
(nods knowingly)
The Sasquatch is near.
GABRIELLE
Hunting Elk... can you tell us more about these
Sasquatch?
HUNTING ELK
(nods)
They are the Children of the Forest. As I told you
last night, our ancestors shared the land with the Sasquatch, and they
in turn watched over us.
GABRIELLE
Why does Striking Eagle hate them so much?
HUNTING ELK
(beat)
A few years ago Striking Eagle said that the Sasquatch
killed his son. It made him bitter and angry.
(beat)
I was chosen with his son to become a shaman. But
after my cousin's death, Striking Eagle devoted his life to hunting
down the Sasquatch that killed his son. He says they are all evil like
the legend says.
GABRIELLE
But your people are so peaceful. You are so in harmony
with nature.
XENA
Maybe the loss of his son has touched him so deep that
he only has room for vengeance.
HUNTING ELK
It is easy to blame those who cannot defend
themselves. We have also heard stories of many good deeds about our
Sasquatch from other tribes.
(beat)
Maybe it is men that are the menace.
GABRIELLE
Do you think that the Sasquatch saved your younger
brother?
HUNTING ELK
Yes.
GABRIELLE
I believe you are right.
Gabrielle follows Xena and Hunting Elk deeper into the
forest following the Sasquatch tracks.
CUT TO:
14. EXT. FOREST - MORNING
Mummified corpses lie covered on stilts. A breeze
wafts lazily through dozens of dream-catchers.
A large matte-black haired creature, about five feet
tall, wanders amidst the sacred burial ground. It looks lost and
confused.
It looks up and cocks its head to listen, sniffing the
air. It moves as swiftly as its huge bulk can carry it, leaving large
footprints in the forest floor.
A moment later, members of the hunting party jump onto
the scene.
The warriors carry an assortment of spears, nets, bows
and arrows. Their garments are made of gray/black furs of small
animals, patched together to hang from the waist for freedom of
movement.
Some warriors wear feathers, mostly small, tied to
their wrists and ankles with strips of leather. Some are barefoot
while the rest wear roughly tanned moccasins.
Striking Eagle puts his hands on his hips. He studies
the ground and takes three large paces forward.
He studies a deep footprint.
STRIKING EAGLE
(sweeps his arm around in a wide arc)
The Sasquatch disturbed our ancestors.
A warrior points in the direction that the Sasquatch
fled. All the warriors run in that direction. Smirking evilly,
Striking Eagle anticipates an early victory.
CUT TO:
15. EXT. SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE FOREST - MIDMORNING
Xena, Gabrielle and Hunting Elk have drifted away from
most of the other warriors to follow a different track.
GABRIELLE
Xena, I've been thinking about what Hunting Elk said.
(beat)
What if the Sasquatch are peaceful creatures and just
want to be left alone?
XENA
Like the Horde?
(beat)
They wanted to be left alone and killed thousands of
innocent settlers.
GABRIELLE
I don't think the Sasquatch are like that.
XENA
Well, you know what I think.
Xena cocks her head to listen. Gabrielle and Hunting
Elk turn in the same direction.
XENA
Sssh! Listen.
(beat)
Do you hear that?
GABRIELLE
Something very large is coming this way.
(beat)
And what is that smell?
A large hairy humanoid, a little shorter than
Gabrielle, lumbers out of the bushes and runs into Gabrielle.
Both the creature and Gabrielle tumble to the ground.
Gabrielle wrinkles her nose at the smell, and then
opens her eyes to look into an ancient and friendly face. Its eyes
betray its sadness and fear as it looks over its shoulder.
XENA
(draws her sword)
Gabrielle…
Fearfully, the creature moves quickly away from them
as the Warrior Princess approaches menacingly. Gabrielle sits up
perplexed.
GABRIELLE
I'm all right, Xena.
(beat)
Was that a Sasquatch? It was very small.
HUNTING ELK
A child Sasquatch.
(beat - smile)
They are breeding.
XENA
It was almost the same size as Gabrielle!
HUNTING ELK
(smiling)
They are tall.
(beat)
But I fear for its safety.
XENA
Then we should hurry.
Xena, with sword drawn, helps Gabrielle up with one
swift motion.
They hear rustling around in the bushes, as a group of
warriors rush past the Warrior Princess and the bard, following the
small creature.
XENA
I wondered when they’d show up.
(beat)
Stay here.
Xena rushes off after the warriors.
GABRIELLE
Yeah,right.
Gabrielle rushes after Xena.
CUT TO:
16. EXT. FOREST GLADE - MIDMORNING
Xena rushes onto the scene just as the warriors
surround the creature. Gabrielle comes in close behind and both are
awed by the confrontation.
One warrior throws his spear at the Sasquatch. It
catches the spear and lodges it into a tree beside it.
Xena is impressed.
Warriors surround the young Sasquatch. It crouches
down, covering its head in its arms. It begins to whimper in fear.
GABRIELLE
Xena, we have to do something.
(beat)
It's just a baby.
Gabrielle puts herself in between the crouching
creature and the hunters.
Xena does the same and feigns a few thrusts at the
surprised warriors.
XENA
(swings sword)
Get back!
Striking Eagle gloats as Xena and Gabrielle try to
protect the Sasquatch.
STRIKING EAGLE
The strangers ally themselves with our enemy.
(beat)
They will suffer the same fate as the Sasquatch.
(beat)
Get them!
A warrior tries to throw a net over the creature.
Gabrielle blocks his path. Another warrior thrusts his
spear at Gabrielle. Gabrielle disarms the warrior with a quick jerk,
winding him with the butt of the spear. A back swing flips the warrior
over.
Xena parries the thrusts of the spears with her sword.
GABRIELLE
(background voice)
Don't you dare hurt him.
Striking Eagle comes in close, shaking his rattles and
chanting mantras. The Sasquatch seems mesmerized by the shaman's
peculiar behavior.
All of a sudden, Striking Eagle blows a powder into
the creature's face before either Xena or Gabrielle can stop him.
Its eyes stare blankly in surprise and then it topples
forward, fast asleep.
Xena and Gabrielle reluctantly surrender as the
warriors throw a net over the sleeping form. A couple of spears slide
through the holes of the net and they lift the netted creature up.
Gabrielle moves next to the net.
GABRIELLE
I won't leave him.
HUNTING ELK
I too will protect this little Sasquatch as best I
can.
(beat)
Some of our warriors do not agree with Striking Eagle.
XENA
Where is Striking Eagle?
CUT TO:
17. EXT. FOREST PATH - MIDMORNING
While being reluctantly led by the warriors, Gabrielle
points to a spot in the forest.
GABRIELLE
Xena, look over there.
Xena looks and sees a large creature disappear quickly
into the forest.
GABRIELLE
That looked like the creature that tried to save
Little Feather.
Before anyone can stop them Xena and Gabrielle leap
over the warriors, and run after the quickly disappearing Sasquatch.
Hunting Elk blocks the path, tripping a few warriors.
By the time they untangle themselves, Xena and Gabrielle have
disappeared.
Xena and Gabrielle see Striking Eagle in the distance
on the same path as the creature.
GABRIELLE
I wondered what happened to him. He must've seen the
big Sasquatch spying nearby.
XENA
Wonder why he didn't say anything to the hunters?
CUT TO:
18. EXT. CAVE ENTRANCE - NOON
Xena and Gabrielle follow Striking Eagle to a cave.
The Sasquatch is nowhere in sight. They see the shaman go inside. They
settle in to wait. Some time passes.
GABRIELLE
Wonder what he's doing in there?
They see some smoke coming out of the cave entrance.
XENA
Whatever he's doing, he's taking his sweet time about
it.
GABRIELLE
That smoke is making me sleepy.
XENA
Have you been eating nut bread again?
(beat)
Hush!
A moment later Striking Eagle swaggers outside like a
new, confident man and walks quickly away.
Xena and Gabrielle enter the cave cautiously.
CUT TO:
19. INT. CAVE - AFTERNOON
Xena ignites a couple of torches with some flint and
hands one to Gabrielle.
The cave lights up and shows a myriad of cave drawings
on the walls.
XENA
Gabrielle, Look at this.
Gabrielle comes to Xena's side. Both see cave drawings
of Sasquatch, twice the size of men, living in harmony with the
natives.
GABRIELLE
(excited)
Xena, this is the history of both the Sasquatch and
the tribe.
XENA
Ha! I've seen better drawings in Egypt.
Gabrielle points to some grayish brown plants.
GABRIELLE
What is this stuff?
(beat)
It looks like mushrooms?
XENA
Yes, but haven’t seen ones like them before.
(beat)
Here's a picture of a Holy Man smoking a pipe.
GABRIELLE
Hunting Elk should see this…
(beat)
Maybe he can help explain what these pictures mean.
Gabrielle moves to the exit of the cave and goes
outside.
CUT TO:
20. EXT. CAVE ENTRANCE - AFTERNOON
Gabrielle exits the cave and looks up. Her eyes widen.
GABRIELLE
Ahem… Xena…
Xena comes out of the cave.
XENA
What is it Gabri… Holy mother of Zeus!
A nine foot tall Sasquatch towers over Xena and
Gabrielle.
FADE OUT:
END ACT II
ACT III
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